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But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
~ 1 Peter 1:25 ~

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All human teaching and, indeed, all human beings shall pass away as the grass of the meadow; but we are here assured that the Word of the Lord is of a very different character, for it shall endure forever.

We have here a divine gospel; for what word can endure forever but that which is spoken by the eternal God?

We have here an ever-living gospel, as full of vitality as when it first came from the lips of God; as strong to convince and convert, to regenerate and console, to sustain and sanctify as ever it was in its first days of wonder-working.

We have an unchanging gospel which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah. Opinions alter, but truth certified by God can no more change than the God who uttered it.

Here, then, we have a gospel to rejoice in, a word of the Lord upon which we may lean all our weight. “For ever” includes life, death, judgment, and eternity. Glory be to God in Christ Jesus for everlasting consolation. Feed on the word today and all the days of thy life.

“Nato and Russia, based on an enduring political commitment undertaken at the highest political level, will build together a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area.”

Following the attack on Belgium’s Zaventem airport the 22nd of March, when suicide bombers blew themselves up in the check-in hall, government aviation experts from across the EU met for an emergency security review on Thursday March the 31st to examine how best to protect “publicly accessible areas”.

Every day we hear of terrorist attacks and of people just killing others because they have a grudge against something or some one. Every day on our television screen we can see crimes against humanity. Often when bad things happen to people they ask why such badness came over them and why they ‘deserved’ such thing.

Honest-hearted people are losing faith in humanity, and humanity is losing faith in God. Lots of people who have been a member of a church have seen how badness also came into their church or even affected those who claim to be men of God, priests and ministers. They forgot that all those priests, bishops, cardinals, ministers and other church people are just like any body else just human beings who have their little and big faults.

Because of the pressure in this life, lots of people do not have much time any more or do not want to spend time for church nor God. At work, on the streets, even at home there are not many moments where one is taking time to talk about faith or religion. Men can even wonder if faith can survive.

For sure we live in a very misleading world where we are bombarded with lots of news-gathering, information but also lots of disinformation. In this world full of social media we may see lots of people lost track and by the wood can’t see the trees any more.

Demonstrators protest the shooting death of Alton Sterling near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, July 10, 2016.

Man’s inhumanity to man plays out in the news on an hourly basis. And images of violence and injustice are brought before the public eye as never before. From the States of America we get many newsshots where we see police officer taking on an uncontrolled aggressive attitude against coloured people. More than once we see such agitated police officers killing a fearful black person who is already immobilised by the cops. The majority of people are rightfully enraged over injustice, but most seek ways of coping by peaceful protest, such as was the intent of the rally in Dallas. Downtown Dallas was in lockdown early Friday after what appeared to be one attacker shot 12 officers, five fatally, during a protest over deadly police shootings of black men elsewhere. {Dallas sniper suspect dead, likely acted alone, officials say; Five officers killed}

Detectives found bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics while searching the suspect’s home. Once more in the U.S.A. it was shown how dangerous it can be when ordinary people can buy any sorts of weapon just like they are going to a grocery shop buying their daily food.

The daily food of man today is violence more than peace.

83rd United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch

Attorney General Loretta Lynch called it an “unfathomable tragedy,” and said the Department of Justice is working closely with its local counterparts in Texas.

“After the events of this week, Americans across the county are feeling a sense of helplessness, of uncertainty and of fear,”

“Every member of this body, every Republican and every Democrat, wants to see less gun violence.”

It is a small minority who take vengeance into their own hands, making matters even worse. All of these reactions erode faith that there will ever be peace on earth. Can faith survive the constant assault of terror and senseless violence portrayed in the news every day? Will God bring the peace on earth that He promised?

Prophecies tell in the end times that every man’s hand shall be against his neighbour. (Zechariah 14:13)

“On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other.” (Zechariah 14:13 NIV)

The officer-involved shooting death of Alton Sterling on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, spurred protests across Baton Rouge. Here, protesters gather on July 6 at the Triple S Food Mart where Sterling was shot. (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune) (Brett Duke)

Look around you, hear the daily press and notice how violence has become part of the day. All that bad news we are confronted with every hour of the day brings an atmosphere of uncertainty and of anger, fear, jealousy and distrust throughout our village, city, country and throughout the world.

Many do have the idea that it is only to become worse. And to be honest, we can not deny that.

Though we do now that there are people who should not have to be afraid of the terrible times which are coming. For sure this world is going to face a third World War. Perhaps it is even not going to take such a long time before our children or their children shall face the most terrible time of this world.

Does the Bible offer any solution to end the madness and provide hope for a world in despair?

Although prophecies indicate that there will be a time of severe trouble, they also indicate that hope will follow this nighttime of sorrow.

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5 NIV)

The world again shall face, like it has done more, a weeping that may endure for nights, but those who love God do know that joy shall come in the morning God shall present to this world. Throughout the ages God provided His Word. That world could see that everything He said became a reality, except a few things still to come. It are those sayings of God which give us assurance that God intends to put an end to the radical, destructive behaviour which stems from soul sickness. This hope for all who have died and for all who are suffering is found in Acts 3:19-21:

“19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:19-21 NIV)

Notice that it is for those who are willing to repent and to turn to God that “times of refreshing shall come”. Though many still do not hear the Voice of God, He is not silent nor shall stay silent. He spoke by His prophets and his Words are written down in the Book of books (the Bible) so that all people of whatever period in time can read His Words.

God is allowing people living in the end times to learn that mankind is incapable of solving the world’s problems. This permission of evil has the very purpose of educating and preparing mankind for the promised times of restitution. At that time, they will begin to seek for God‘s righteous kingdom under the rule of the great Messiah. They will be blessed with a full knowledge of God and a full opportunity for attaining everlasting life through their redeemer — the great restorer and life–giver.

Following are just a few of the hundreds of blessings promised by God’s kingdom to come, when His will shall be done on earth as it is being done in heaven . . .• God promises peace after the shaking of all nations.
Zephaniah 3:8-9; Micah 4:3; Haggai 2:7

• He promises that happiness will replace all fear and sadness.
Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 35:10

• He promises that the world will learn righteousness after having experienced sin and death for over 6,000 years.
Isaiah 26:9; Zephaniah 3:9

• He promises that all tears shall be wiped off all faces.
Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17; 21:4, 5

• He promises that there will be a time when sickness will come to an end.
Isaiah 33:24; Isaiah 35:5; Revelation 21:4

• He promises that the great enemy death shall be swallowed up in victory.
Isaiah 25:8; 35:10; 1 Corinthians 15:24, 54-56; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Revelation 21:4

This Christian classic contains over 1,600 Old and New Testament Scriptures explained clearly and understandably. It provides a logical progression of the Scriptures, delineating God’s plan from paradise lost to paradise restored. It was the third best seller in the early 1900s — the Bible and the Chinese Almanac being first and second. Joseph Rotherham, who translated The Emphasized Bible, described the book as “…bold, broad, and breezy; very refreshing after the stereotyped dogmas and platitudes which pass current in the theological world…. The Chapter on ‘the Permission of Evil” is alone more than worth the price of the whole volume…” and provided us with the Rotherham Emphasized Bible and the Sacred Names bible.

All of the great Bible themes are examined, such as:

• Why God Permits Suffering and His Purpose for Allowing Evil for a Measured Time
• The Great Epochs, Characters and Events in God’s Merciful Plan for Mankind
• The Purpose and Expectation of Christ’s Second Advent
• The Day of Judgment and Its Relationship to the Benevolent Kingdom of God
• The Hope of the Good News Provided by the Promised Ransom & Restitution

What to be and where to belong

Many Christians may have lots of questions about why we are created so and so, what we do have to do, how we have to behave and form our selves. Jehovah’s Witnesses also can become confronted with such questions which can bring them into many doubts. They also can become frustrated.

Strangely in our world today we may find people who are excluded by the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), but who are still feeling 100% pro-Jehovah’s Witnesses. This despite the fact that the organisation has removed them from the congregation, and despite the believer his or her belief that the organisation happens to be in error for doing so!

What we do find strange by many ex-Jehovah Witnesses is that they either go totally against the Faith in OneGod or that they go totally against the non-trinitarian idea and go to an other organisational church. Many of them keep thinking you need A Organisation, others came to come to see clear and do find it is not as such the church of men but the church of God they have to look for.

Witnesses for Jehovah

A few believe that there is no other religious organization on earth today that is so completely committed to doing the work Jesus asked of his followers, and following in his footsteps, worshipping the God of the Bible, in the way that he prescribes, doing their utmost to be continually teaching and living by the truth of his word, and not simply the often-vacillating moral and secular opinions of men. They stay blinded that there are no other serious Bible Students who try to do the task Jesus had ordered his followers to do. This mainly because they limit their idea about preaching to having to go on the streets and to knock at the door or ringing the bell.

We do agree that the Jehovah Witnesses organisation is a powerful organisation, very well structured, and because having enough money and interested people, able to bring the tasks together, organise editions and meetings, much better than many others. They have very beautiful good publications to help people willing to learn about the Word and Work of JehovahGod. Though sometimes they seem to forget that it is “God’s word is alive, and exerts power,” (Hebrews 4:12) and that it is God’sHand which hovers over the world bringing all sorts of people active in the Word of God. The Jehovah Witnesses and the excluded ones who still hope to be part of the Jehovah Witnesses (JW) overlook that there are also other witnesses for Jehovah active in the whole world. We consider ourselves some of them.

When all in union or being united

The congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses mistakenly consider them as the only people who are truly united by their religion “in the same mind and in the same line of thought” as Jesus Christ, not just locally, but everywhere around the globe. The JW rightly consider that if all people on earth were Jehovah’s Witnesses, there would be no wars, no violent conflicts. But we also could say in case all Christians would follow the teachings of the one they say they take as their master, than also there would be already less fighting and less problems in the world. In case all people would be real Christians, and not just name Christians, really following the commandments of God, than also there would be no wars, no violent conflicts. The same simply cannot be said of the myriad of other religions on earth today, because there are so many divisions and many having non-Scriptural teachings. Taryn Viv having been a JW, and still feeling like one, seems to know one of the problems of the people in the organisation. She writes:

To their credit, Jehovah’s Witnesses are sincerely diligent when it comes to applying Bible counsel to themselves, and to the congregation. Faithfully doing so has proven to have tremendously positive results, which only makes sense. If the Bible really is, as it claims, the word of our creator, his wisdom certainly must surpass ours, and as it is summed up at Isaiah 48:17, “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself.”

The ones to tell what is right or wrong

Though not one man is infallible and knows everything. Even Jesus did not know when he would return to the earth. But the organisation claims that they can tell all people what is right and wrong, and that they are the only ones who can bring people to God. For sure they will help a lot of people to find the Only One God and to come to see the difference between the man made gods and the Only One God, the ElohimHashemJehovah. We should know that we as human beings have all our limitations and cannot expect perfection of one another in this system of things, nor can we expect it of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor those appointed to positions of responsibility, in spite of the tremendous good that Jehovah clearly is using the JW, Bible Students, Christadelphians and other non-trinitarian Christians who freely and sincerely, contribute to the work of God.

Transgender – Being and feeling in a body

As a transgender woman for many, many years, the writer was quite frankly a bit shocked that, within weeks of her first surfacing the truth of her situation openly with a brother whom she considered a long-time friend, the congregation elders had decided this was a “judicial matter,” and scheduled a meeting to essentially determine whether she would be “repentant,” or would need to be removed from the congregation. Strangely enough you could wonder how it did happen they did not know earlier.
Such people with a gender problem, which we encounter much more today (also have a look at the articles on Stepping toes) are not only in trouble with their own situation, having to suffer from major depressive illness for some years and as a result having very little contact with their own family, do not have it always easy to mix with others and to enjoy friendly contacts and group meetings in Christian groups.

Exclusion because of gender choice

Dr. Camille Cabral, a transgender activist at a demonstration for transgender people in Paris, October 1, 2005

Because Taryn Viv cannot, and will not dress and present herself as the “man” she had come to realize she never truly was in the first place, she has been removed from the congregation. This is somewhat shocking which we often have to hear about the JW, who exclude followers and have their family members and friends of the faith-group charged not to meet the excluded person any more.

When we do know that everybody is created in the likeness of God, and that we do bear the image of God, you may wonder if those who do not feel at ease in their body are really doing something against the Will of God ,when they let science help them to become the person they, in first instance feel to be?

For sure, those who would knowingly and wilfully practice such things that Jehovah condemns as seriously harmful, unloving and wrong, could not rightly still be considered a follower of Christ. Those who practice fornication, theft, murder, and do not regret what they have wrong, even when baptised, can not be any more be considered a person being part of the Body of Christ. We do agree that in many Christian denominations there are a lot of people who believe we do not have to work any more once we are ‘reborn’. They think once baptised that they would enter in heaven because they are saved by Christ. But Faith without works is death.

Looks, judging and counselling

In case people of the congregation see that there is something wrong they should bring this into discussion. Faithful brothers and sisters should be counselled then to avoid any association with such a person, even to the point of just sitting down to a meal with them, where others could see the association with that person. But we do not find it right that natural brothers and sisters and parents are not allowed to speak or associate with their brother or sister or child.

According to us they should be the first ones to bring the other to get to see what he or she did wrong, but than there have to have been something wrong. Therefore we as Christians should examine everything very careful and be attentive before we judge some one else. We also should be aware that by the ages many traditions came into our life as well as ideas how we should be or what would be accepted as normal or acceptable in our community.
For example the JW always like to go around in business suits and do not find it appropriate to wear casual clothing in service. Their way of dress is also not always conform the dress in the country they preach. As such, in West Europe everybody straight ahead recognises the JW because of their Americanised out of date dressing. But that has nothing to do with commandments of God, where no where in Scriptures is written that a dress for a girl has to have a length of so many centimetres beneath the knees or up to the ankles.

Exclusions of persons

Christians should be very careful with exclusions of persons from their community and should also try to do every effort to get the person back on the right track. They never may forget that the rules of exclusion are about someone who has not shown any repentance, remorse or regret for such serious wrongs, and that the purpose of such “disfellowshipping,” as Jehovah’s Witnesses call the practice is twofold.

First, it may move the person to reconsider the seriousness of what they have been doing and to turn around, thereby restoring a good relationship, first and foremost, with Jehovah God, but also with their spiritual family, who are urged to “kindly forgive and comfort” them. (2 Corinthians 2:7)

A second key reason is that, in the event they should remain unrepentant, “a little leaven ferments the whole lump.” (1 Corinthians 5:6)

Wisdom of scriptural admonition evident

The writer of the article A Matter of Judgement recognises that the wisdom of the scriptural admonition is evident, and can be clearly seen by counterexample. No doubt we’ve all heard of some widely publicized cases of unthinkably horrid offences committed by members of various religions. (Child molestation, for example, comes to mind. Murder is another, such as the bombings of abortion clinics, for example.) When those engaging in such acts, even repeatedly, can yet remain affiliated with others of their “faith,” as though even such gross wrongs are tolerable, or beyond judgement, what does it say to the world at large about that faith?

“Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26)

More believers should hear the call of those who came onto this world in an other body than there mind tells them.

For now, though, I’ll conclude by saying I am grateful to be attending meetings regularly at the Kingdom hall again, and despite being considered “disfellowshipped” I find them spiritually strengthening and encouraging.
These days I am glad to say I can be more sociable again, and although it saddens me that I cannot now freely associate with many of my friends, brothers and sisters in the congregation, I find I am being given precious opportunities to speak about the good news of God’s Word with others I come into contact with.

Far from letting my circumstances cause me to be negative, many an acquaintance has told me they have come away after a conversation with a better view of both the Bible and Jehovah’s Witnesses than they had before.

It pleases me know that I can still plant seeds of truth. I would encourage anyone in my sort of situation to do the same. Jehovah is a rewarder of those loyal to him, and so although the appointed elders may still expect to see me doing things that I cannot do, I know that Jehovah is pleased to see me doing what I can.

We only can hope that those who found their way to Jehovah the Only OneGod, by the help of the marvellous work of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, when they leave that organisation will continue in the Faith and in the Truth, loving God and all His creation, the good and the bad people also.

Jonathan Rose was branded a hypocrite as he was locked up for molesting two little girls he met through the church.
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The family of Rose’s first accuser say they were encouraged to cover up their allegation. He was cleared of groping the then teenage girl in 1995 trial, but she would go on to be a witness in the latest court case. Her family say they were hounded out of the Jehovah’s Witnesses when they expressed concerns.

What Does The Bible Really Teach? – Chapter 18 Review (watchtowerinvestigated.co.uk)
You are not baptised in the name of the father, son and holy spirit you are baptised into the organisation. In fact the last question they is “Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?”
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Gods law are not burdensome, but let me list some things that the watchtower burden with when you are baptised:-• Fill out a report card every month detailing how much ministry you have done (or not as the case may be).
• You Must go to all the meetings.
• You Must go on the field service.
• You Must not have a blood transfusion even if your life depended on it.
• You Must not get involved in any holidays, Christmas, Birthday, Mothers Day, Fathers Day…the list goes on.
• You Must cut off love ones if they reject the religion…
• The list goes on…

The aim of the programme was to help the delegates to work towards acquiring a bible-trained and holy spirit-led conscience, which together with the bible, could serve as a reliable guide in deepening their relationship with God.

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International Biblestudents Association
The IBSA or cooperative association of Bible Student congregations worldwide, all united by the common beliefs taught in Brother Russell’s Studies in the Scriptures series